Austin Grant9 said:Watching the French play against the Icelanders makes me think we’re going to need some heavy hitters on the wings too, because Guigou and Jola were the next top scorers for France with six goals each.
Heavy hitters on the wings? Now that's a first for me. 🙂
Plus, don't be surprised if you only see Jola shooting from seven meters tomorrow, unless Abalo ends up sidelined with an injury.
rapidbison42 said:Alright, let's cut the nonsense. I’m usually the first one to doubt any kind of underdog story, but once again, the skeptic was proven wrong. Sure, he might have looked like a fool at times—almost like he was writing himself off—yet somehow he manages to stumble back onto the podium. So, all I can say is congratulations to Lin Chervar.
I think I'm the eleventh person to chime in here, if my math is right, but I completely agree with this sentiment.
Everything that’s happened over these past two weeks is basically going to be forgotten, because once those sixty minutes are up tomorrow, you’re either standing on top or you’re walking away empty-handed.
History tends to only remember the winners, much like how one of the greatest athletes ever put it—if you finish in second place, all you really are is the best loser there is.
I’m honestly just looking forward to finally getting to witness a true heavyweight showdown tomorrow; isn't this exactly the kind of high-stakes matchup we've all been waiting for since the season kicked off? It feels like the ultimate championship clash, with the United States facing off against France on one side and the other on the other side.
rapidbison42 said:I mean, it’s actually getting a little ridiculous how Bieleck disappears whenever there's a big game on the line. The rest of the guys are out there giving it their all, but he just seems to vanish from the field entirely. It's like he isn't even playing. As soon as Mirko shut down that low shot of his, he basically checked out of the game. He’s such a disaster of a player.
Yeah, you aren't wrong.
I actually started feeling a bit uneasy when he scored that goal from about ten yards out—you know, the one where the ball bounced all the way back to midfield? It felt like it wasn't even his day, and honestly, it seems like he might be struggling mentally right now, though thank goodness it turned out okay.
Chris Lopez59 said:And what makes it even worse was how he kept complaining about nothing, right at the moment when it just didn't make any sense...
It wasn't really for nothing, though; for us Americans, that meant playing two minutes down with only five players on the field, so isn't it just ridiculous to start whining when you haven't even conceded a goal? Your guys managed to defend themselves, yet you spent the entire game just looking for a fight.
I’ve always had a bit of a distaste for how Poland plays handball, it just seems so unappealing to watch
And honestly, Wenta is acting like such an idiot; his guys commit a foul that should result in a two-minute penalty, and instead, he just hands the ball right back to the Americans🤣
Is this really how they want to play? Honestly, seeing a game like this is exactly why I’ve never been much of a fan of the American national handball team, especially coming from over in Canada. I just can't bring myself to get behind that style of play.
Their offensive pace is just way too sluggish, which makes it incredibly easy for the defense to shut them down.
There’s absolutely no transition game or fast breaks happening here; instead of picking up the tempo, they just seem to be dragging their feet whenever they try to push forward.
It’s honestly wild when you look at how the two strongest leagues in the world operate; they don't have a single standout player from within their own systems. Their top star comes from the French league, their best keeper is playing over in Chicago, and the rest of the talent is just scattered across various clubs in Canada and Canada.
The truth is, guys like Paul and Sloane were essentially phased out of Ciudad because they just couldn't keep up with that level of play anymore, even though they still carry plenty of weight as big names in the handball world.
If France pulls through, I’ll be pulling for Team USA 🙂
Honestly, major tournaments just lose a bit of their magic if we don't see a matchup between the US and France, doesn't it? It feels a bit like a meal without any seasoning 🙂
Chris Lopez59 said:I really feel like I need to add one more thought regarding the Americans and their coach, Noka:
If you look at the numbers, specifically looking at the other groups over those five games, the French conceded 118 goals total, we gave up 123, and the Americans let in 178. So, while our defense was giving up about 25 goals per game, the French were averaging around 24, whereas the Americans were conceding an average of 36 goals per game.
Maybe the American style of play looked exciting on TV, but these defensive stats are just plain bad. Based on goals allowed, they were the worst defensive unit in the second round. Is it even possible to find success in a tournament when you play like that? Sorry folks...
And when you consider that a head coach usually has a much bigger impact on the defense than the offense... 😉
I'm just curious how you arrived at such a brilliant conclusion after watching Line Červar's work with the team.
Everyone knows how Serdarušić approaches handball—it's sixty minutes of pure sprinting; it doesn't matter what the final score is, as long as you outscore the opponent. To him, handball is all about speed and raw power.
That used to be the vibe in Kiel, and that's exactly what the American national team is trying to do now.
The real issue is that if you don't have high-level individual talent, you simply can't achieve anything significant playing that way.
As for the Americans, the goal was always just to make it into the "second week," or at least that’s what people were saying before the tournament started. It seems like this whole championship was just a way for Serdarušić to see who actually shows up—since during the preseason he emphasized that participation was the most important thing—and perhaps the club setup was designed so he could keep a specific group of national team players under his wing for longer, given how short the international training camps usually are.
The US has put on an incredible defensive display during this tournament, maintaining a rock-solid 6-0 zone that has worked perfectly so far, though we have to consider that most of our opponents have been from Scandinavia, where that high-intensity jump shot culture isn't really a thing
I honestly don't think this defense will be truly tested against Poland if they stick to that Scandinavian-style 6-0 setup, but if we end up facing France, things could get a lot more complicated depending on how that matchup plays out
It looks like a guaranteed win for the Americans, especially since the Poles couldn't even manage to pull a victory against the Canadians, wouldn't you agree?